


A Paladin Family Christmas

by SaraJaye, ThatScottishShipper



Series: Full Castleship Of Domestic Family Warms [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Baking, Banter, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Movies, Don’t post to another site, F/F, F/M, Gen, Kosmo Dancing, M/M, Team as Family, Teasing, minor drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-26 11:50:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17141216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatScottishShipper/pseuds/ThatScottishShipper
Summary: What happens when Lance decides it's about time his Space Mom had a proper Christmas? Pretty much everything!





	1. Movie Afternoon

"Never did  _ Christmas?!” _

Lance’s voice bounced across the bridge, causing Keith to flinch and the space mice to seek shelter beneath Allura’s flowing white hair. Even Pidge, with her lime green headphones on, jerked suddenly.

As for Princess Allura and ever faithful Coran, they simply stood there, perplexed by the outburst. The Blue Paladin always was an easily excitable sort, a fountain of verbal energy unmatched by his friends and everything beyond, so his current shrieks were something of a record breaker.

“Pardon me, Lance,” Allura began, resisting the urge to massage the sounds of life back into her delicate ears. “What is a… Christmas?”

“Only the best holiday in existence!” Lance cried. “And Mom’s here telling us he never did it?!”

“Well, we did, kind of,” Keith said, rubbing the back of his neck. “The orphanage did what they could, we each got a gift and they made us cookies and a nice dinner, we got to see the TV specials, even got a mall Santa to come see us.”

“Wait, wait. You didn’t even believe in  _ Santa Claus _ ?” Hunk’s eyes filled with tears. “That’s a sacred part of childhood! Oh, Mom, you poor deprived soul!”

Keith winced, looking to his husband, but Shiro looked just as puppy-eyed and sad. Something about the pity in their eyes, especially that of his husband, made him incredibly awkward, as if he had somehow spoke out of turn or commited a social taboo he was not aware of.

“I believed! I mean, even if the real Santa only ever gave stuff to rich kids with families,” Keith said. Actually, he’d once gotten a DS from a mystery source, with Pokemon Heart Gold, something he knew Dad could never afford, so it had to be Santa. Even finding out it was a donated gift from someone at the fire station, he still believed. (It had helped that the man  _ looked  _ an awful lot like the guy, too.)

Shiro gave Keith a sympathetic smile and a touch of the shoulder, remembering all the stories his husband shared with him about his lonely childhood. “Hey, it’s alright, Keith. We can always celebrate our first Christmas together?”

Shiro then turned his attention to the others. “As a family?”

Daddy Shirogane clearly said the right thing since the entire mood of the room soared. The wide-eyed wonder and excited squeals gave Shiro no doubt that his friends were just as eager to help spread the festive cheer with Keith, reminding him of that cheerful spirit the holidays offered.

“Of course! As glad as I am to have my mom, dad, and Matt back, I can’t picture Christmas any other way,” Pidge said.

“They’ll celebrate with us? There’s more than enough Christmas to go around,” Keith said.

Shiro smiled proudly; Keith had always been a giving sort, but he was so much more open about it now. Lance, Hunk, and Pidge’s families had taken a shine to him when their kids introduced him as their Space Mom; Shiro remembered Keith’s fear that once they were reunited with their blood families they wouldn’t need him anymore.

Not a chance, as the Red Paladin was warmly accepted with open arms by the families of his fellow Paladins. Their appreciation for Keith, and Shiro, for tending to their loved ones was felt strongly by the young man, unaccustomed to such kindness beyond that of his Paladin family.

Shiro still recalled the surprise on his husband’s face when the Holts came in for a tag team hug, then the entirety of Lance’s family, then Hunk’s. Before Keith knew it, the love of entire generations surrounded him, showering their respect and heartfelt thanks on to him for being one half of the rock that kept the family together.

The surprise then melted into softness, shimmering with emotions Keith struggled to deal with, before closing his eyes, falling into the embrace. At such a tender sight, Shiro was unable to hold back his own feelings, relieved that others took notice of what he had seen all along.

That Keith harboured great potential from deep within his heart.

 

“So what do we do first? There’s so much we’ve gotta show Allura, Coran, Romelle, Krolia, Acxa, Shay…” Lance ticked off the names of other friends of theirs who’d never experienced Christmas. Coran snapped his fingers.

“Christmas specials, of course! The Voltron Show could even make its own!” he said cheerfully. Keith cringed, remembering the tapes the others had shown him of Coran’s brainchild. He still felt bad for Allura having to play a sourpuss like him.

“I don’t think so, Coran,” Allura said gently. “We should watch what our Earth friends consider the best, I would say.”

“Muppet Christmas Carol!” Pidge piped up. “Matt and I always watch that one, it’s the best! It’s got songs and I didn’t think Michael Caine’s performance was as bad as people say!”

As if on cue, Shiro found himself humming ‘There Goes Mr. Humbug’ with an appreciating Pidge giving him the thumbs up. “Sorry, can’t resist. Always got my toes tapping.”

“I saw that one with my niece and nephew once,” Hunk said. “It’s weird seeing the Muppets take something so seriously! But it was good. My personal favorite was the first Simpsons episode, though.”

Everyone else chimed in with their own favorites; A Christmas Story (which Keith found overrated and overplayed but still couldn’t help liking a little), the Peanuts special, that one Garfield special, the stupid Rankin-Bass cartoons that somehow still managed to be adorable, The Grinch, The Snowman (a tearjerker for Shiro).

“Guys, guys.” Lance held up his hand. “These are all well and good. But you’re all forgetting the best Christmas movies that ever existed. Two of them,” he said. “Home Alone and Die Hard!”

“Wait, what?” Pidge side-eyed him. “I mean, Home Alone, yeah, but  _ Die Hard _ ? That’s just a movie about shooting people!” Suddenly, Acxa raised her eyebrows curiously, only for Romelle to roll her eyes and pout.

“But it’s Die Hard! Mom and Dad used to watch that every Christmas before my brothers and sister and I came along and once I was ten we all watched it together as a family!”

“Even Home alone is kinda iffy,” Hunk said. “I mean, sure, watching a kid beat up on robbers is funny, but there’s some real bad parenting in that movie.”

Keith bristled, remembering the scene that made him momentarily lose any sympathy for Kevin. The McAllisters were jerks who needed a smack in the face, but it was hard to feel bad for someone wishing they had no family when one was an orphan who would have given anything for  _ any _ parents.

“I wish the Marleys had adopted him,” Keith said. “I mean, the happy ending was fine, but then they had to make an actual sequel where no one learned their lesson.”

“Yeah, I just pretend that one doesn’t exist,” Shiro said. “Kids, no matter what, we’d never single any of you out. If you guys fight, all of you get grounded, end of story.”

Pidge snorted. “Thanks, Dad. But back to the subject of Die Hard.  _ Why?! _ ”

“I saw that one...once, and only the tail end,” Keith said with a shrug. “It was okay, I guess.”

Lance squawked indignantly in response. “Mom, you have to see that one all the way through. Then you’ll understand why it’s a Christmas classic!”

Allura just laughed at her boyfriend’s enthusiasm. “I look forward to seeing this Die Hard, then!”

“It’s got the guy from Family Matters in it, that’s all I know,” Keith said. “So maybe it’ll be good. I was always more into the Fresh Prince, but hey.” He’d been showing Mom some of the sitcoms he’d watched as a kid, courtesy of desert cable and Hulu. Dad had been a child of the 80s, but he and Mom hadn’t had much time for him to introduce her to all his favorites. 

“So,” Shiro began, overwhelmed by the endless possibilities of festive viewing. He wrapped his arm around Keith’s waist, trying to ground the excited energy down. “What do you say we make ourselves some snacks and have a family night in tonight? The only question is what movie do we watch first?”

Unfortunately, that just opened a whole new can of worms, especially when Krolia, Acxa, Shay and Romelle showed up. Offers of something sweet and cute (Romelle,) with high octane action (Acxa) piped up alongside the Paladins earlier suggestions all melted into one cacophony attempting to drown out each other. Shay was indecisive, but was open to anything given her knowledge of the cinematic art was lacking.

Krolia simply turned her attentions towards her son, content to watch whatever he wanted. After all, for Krolia, an experience was less about the moment and more about those she cherished it with.

“A Charlie Brown Christmas first, then,” Keith said. “It’s sweet, but not sugary, and the ending is one of the best payoffs.” Shiro smiled, remembering seeing that one as a kid while his father was still healthy.

“Anyone object?” Surprisingly, everyone seemed fine with it.

 

With only the gentle glow of Altean crystals illuminating the room, the Paladins and their friends curled together in front of the screen, enjoying the start of their Christmas movie marathon.

Thanks to Pidge’s tech savvy, they were able to utilise the widest screen the Atlas had to offer in the recreation room, while Lance and Allura prepared the comfiest collection of pillows and quilts on hand. With Hunk and Coran working together on a banquet fit for all diverse palets, there was no questioning the comfort in store for everyone.

Beneath the quaint feel good story on screen, Shiro nuzzled close to Keith beneath the quilt, holding his hand and blessing this perfect little moment. Next to Keith was Lance, preoccupied less with the film and more of Allura sitting next to him.

Without looking, Keith knew Lance fought the temptation to hold hands with his girlfriend. He gave his middle “son” a wink, as if to say  _ go ahead, we already know _ . Lance  _ blushed _ ; he’d become a lot more modest and bashful over time, especially when it came to Allura.

Slowly sliding closer, his slender fingers brushed against Allura’s hand, his entire face seized with heat. He shouldn’t still get _ this _ flustered over Allura, not when they had been going steady and known each other for that long, but something about her always did this to him.

And his knowing family knew it.

Nevertheless, Allura smiled without even taking her sapphire blue eyes off screen, entwining their fingers beneath the sheets. Keith swore he heard a stifled “awwww” coming from Hunk and Coran.

Romelle, Acxa and Shay sat close on Hunk’s side, ready to partake in their first film ever. However, it wasn’t long before the curious Romelle began to question what she watched.

“Why is the bald boy so sad?” Romelle asked. “He thinks nobody loves him! Doesn’t he have a family?”

“He has a sister,” Hunk explained. “But his parents are basically invisible! Actually, the grownups on this show don’t even talk, they just blow a trumpet.”

Keith laughed. “I still don’t know why that was a thing. I guess so the focus could stay on the kids as much as possible?” 

Pidge adjusted her spectacles before tucking into another handful of the nostalgic sweet and salted popcorn Hunk somehow managed to recreate to perfection. “Hardly a surprise. Kids have problems too.”

Shiro furrowed his eyebrows, concern etched across his face. If there was anything that children should be devoid of, it was hardships. However, the love of his life next to him was a testament to the difficulties thrust upon a young life. “Yes, well, you know, Pidge, you never have to face those troubles alone, whatever they are.”

Keith smiled, always amazed at how easily Shiro could turn a troubled outlook around. “Yeah. Leave the boring stuff to us.”

“Aw, you guys…” Pidge smiled. “I appreciate it, but the nice thing about our Space Family was that you didn’t coddle any of us. Don’t start now.”

“If you ask me, you all need some coddling after what you’ve been through,” Krolia said, sympathising with her son and son-in-law. Knowing that Keith found himself a family in the long years since her reluctant departure gave the Galra mother relief.

Reconnecting with her little ‘star’ had truly been the best day of her life, allowing her to cherish the feeling of family that she longed for. She ran her fingers tenderly through her son’s hair from her place upon the pillow fort they had somehow assembled.

Keith turned around to gaze upward at his mother, smiling without reservation. “Thanks, mom. But… Shiro and I-”

“Keith,” Shiro said, “let the kids’ grandma spoil them a little. That’s what grandparents live for.”

“Oh, right.” Keith had never had any grandparents, or at least any time with them. His dad talked about his family, but they’d never once come to visit and he’d never brought Keith to wherever they lived to visit them.

Lance grinned towards Krolia. “A third grandma, huh. Does this mean you’ll let us eat ice cream for dinner and stay up late?”

Krolia snorted. “We’ll see about that. And furthermore-”

“Hey, check out Kosmo,” Acxa interrupted.

Everyone turned to see what had drawn Acxa’s attention and they were spellbound by what they saw. A wolf on his hind legs, attempting to mimic the dance Snoopy was doing on the screen. Shiro melted at the sight of his and Keith’s fluffy baby dancing away like the whole room wasn’t watching.

“Everyone, stay quiet for a few minutes.” Keith whipped out his phone and turned on the camera function, recording Kosmo’s antics for the amount of time the phone would allow. “Okay, now you can squeal.”

A rising chorus of gushing and adoring sounds rose, only for Kosmo to become aware of an enraptured audience. Tail tucked in, the space wolf whimpered before vanishing completely out of sight, only for the sheets between Shiro and Keith to swell as Kosmo hid.

“Aww, don’t be so embarrassed! You’re a good dancer, you just need more lessons!” Coran said. The lump beneath the quilt whined softly.

As the others returned their attention to the film, Shiro and Keith comforted an anxious Kosmo with soothing pets on the head and a treat or two. By the time _ A Charlie Brown Christmas _ reached its end, a collective sigh of contentment rippled across the room.

 

Touched by the cinematic spectacle, Romelle dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief thoughtfully provided by Axca.

Even Hunk’s bottom lip quivered. “Never fails to hit me in the feels, man.”

“Is this what all films are like?” Shay enquired, giving Hunk a smile as she clasped her hands together in bliss. “What a pleasant experience. To think I would get to enjoy this with such wonderful company.”

“They really do care about him, even if they treat him like crap most of the time,” Lance said. “Schulz really got what being a kid in a friend group was about, I guess.”

“Kind of like this family,” Allura laughed. “Only without the food goo fights.”

_ How could I forget _ , Shiro thought, remembering the circumstances that contributed towards the Paladins learning to bond as a team and form Voltron, or that one disastrous birthday party that resulted in absolute chaos.

Green was definitely  _ not  _ Shiro’s colour that day.

“Only on special occasions, kids,” Shiro reminded them, in no desire to be stuck cleaning up the most stubborn food substance known across the galaxy. “Besides, aren’t you ready for movie number two?”

Mindful that his mother-in-law sat behind them, Shiro gave his husband a gentle smile and a squeeze of the hand. His fingers traced along Keith’s ring, a tender reminder of their unwavering dedication to one another.

Shiro’s smile, however, was a conspiring one. “What do you think, honey? Kids behaved enough to deserve another?”

“I think so. No popcorn fights, no spilled cocoa or coffee.” Keith grinned. “So, what’s up next?”

Luckily, this time everyone agreed on Home Alone. Nothing said Merry Christmas like a kid beating up on some robbers and using a gangster movie to troll a pizza delivery guy, after all.

“After this we should look for a tree,” Acxa said. “Ever since Veronica mentioned them to me I’m looking forward to it!” Lance raised an eyebrow.

“Since when were you so chummy with my sister?”

Beside him, Keith and Shiro stilled, sharing knowing glances with one another. They knew without a doubt that this day would come, that Lance would learn the truth about his sister and Acxa, but that understanding did not ground the moment in clarity needed to deal with such a crisis.  
  


“Since we started dating last week,” Acxa said calmly.

Lance’s eyes nearly bugged out, and Keith expected him to pretty much explode. While he’d accepted Acxa as part of the Coalition and their friend group, he was very much the protective brother despite being younger than Veronica, and Acxa was still somewhat quirky and snarky in her own way.

“She never said anything to me about it,” Lance huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m her family! I should know these things the moment they happen!”

“Maybe she thought you’d freak out,” Keith said. They lived in a society where divergent sexualities were the norm, totally accepted, and Earth had become a hub for both humans and various extraterrestrial species alike. But Lance still remembered when Acxa had been their enemy, and Keith knew he didn’t take well to major bombs being dropped on him.

Shiro sighed, sensing a headache coming on. “Lance, I know this must be a lot for you to take in, but-”

“I just don’t want her to get hurt! Acxa may be on our side now, but...well…” She’d been associated with Lotor, probably his most loyal follower, and Lotor had done a number on Allura’s self-confidence and nearly destroyed them.

“Not very Christmasy right now,” Pidge mumbled, only to be silenced by Keith’s grumpy stare.

Realising that Lance was panicking as he often did when he perceived his loved ones were in danger, Shiro fell back on a reassuring tone of voice. “ _ Son. _ ” The Blue Paladin gasped. “Everything will be fine, Lance. Those days are past us and we’re all together now. We’re all family, remember?”

“Look, I get it. You’re worried about your sister dating a Galra,” Acxa said. “But I won’t hurt her, I promise. I…” She bit her lip. “I wouldn’t subject her to the same thing I was. Being screwed over by someone you believed in.” Lance softened.

“Right, I forgot how you stuck by him to the bitter end,” he said. Keith thought of his talk with Acxa by the fire, after they’d broken free of Zethrid and Ezor’s capture. To this day he didn’t know if she’d had feelings for Lotor or just a deep respect, but she’d been so devoted to him and deeply regretted it after realizing he’d never have anyone’s best interests at heart but his own.

A sad smile tugged at Lance’s lips, his words directed towards Shiro and Keith. “You… knew?”

“More like I did, and I told Shiro,” Keith said. “One of the side effects of having an adoptive sister means she actually tells you things about her personal life.” Krolia grinned. She’d always felt bad for not being able to give Keith any siblings before she had to leave, and Acxa had taken to following her around like a baby duckling not long after they properly met. The girl didn’t even remember having a family of her own, and she and Keith interacted like siblings already, so it only made sense to take her in.

_ Huh. Last horse across the finishing line as always.  _ Still, Lance felt deep inside his heart they weren’t withholding this information out of cruelty or malice, but finding out like this admittedly stung.

Shiro felt that confliction, reaching his arm out across Keith’s back to clasp Lance’s shoulder. “Hey. You alright there, champ? It wasn’t our intention to-”

“It’d be nice if Veronica told me. I dunno, I guess I feel like I got disconnected from everyone while we were out there in space,” Lance sighed. “Sorry, I’m totally bringing the mood down, aren’t I?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Keith smiled. “Just let her know you’re fine with it. Even if it means you and I could end up being in-laws someday.” That got a laugh-snort out of Lance, and Acxa blushed, giving her adoptive brother a dirty look.

Relieved that Lance was getting his heart off his chest, Shiro gave the younger Paladin a playful tap on the cheek, and was rewarded with a sheepish smile. “Atta boy, Lance.”

“So you’d be my brother-in-law and my Space Mom,” Lance said. “I can imagine worse!”

“Let’s stick with Space Mom for now,” Keith replied, nudging him playfully in the side.

“Yes, it’s not like Veronica and I are even  _ thinking  _ about that kind of thing yet,” Acxa said. “Not all of us are like my brother and Shiro!” Keith rolled his eyes.

“Shiro and I knew each other for years before we got married, thank you very much.”

“With many more years ahead,” Shiro added, pulling Keith into a small hug. Keith smiled, snuggling closer and brushing his lips to his husband’s.

“I’ll cherish every single one.” A loud  _ awwww  _ arose from the crowd, causing Keith to flinch in embarrassment. “That’s enough, guys. Movie time, remember?”

“Right!” Coran cheerfully picked up the DVD of Home Alone and slipped it into the player.  
  


After the initial hiccup prior to their second film, the Paladin family settled down, with heated discussions only taking place regarding the family on screen, the McAllisters.

The music was great, though. No one could ever argue with that.


	2. Tree Party

“What do you mean, there’s no stars for the top of the tree?” For the second time in the course of a day, Lance’s voice rang out across the ship. “The star’s the best part!” One would think their middle child was just being melodramatic again, but this time he wasn’t alone.

“Putting the star on top  _ is _ the best part!” Matt Holt said. “How could every store suddenly be out of them?” Granted, they knew shopping would be difficult this Christmas given the damage done to Earth by the Galra, and that rebuilding had taken a lot of time and energy. But in Keith’s mind, the disappointment was justified.

Perceptive as ever, Shiro sensed a festive war on his hands and stepped in to intervene. “In that case, how about making one? Give the tree a personal touch?”

“Oh! I love it!” Romelle clasped her hands together. “That’s just the sort of solution Bandor would come up with,” she said. Her eyes misted over, but Keith was relieved when she didn’t end up in tears like she used to. He’d related, painfully, to her sorrow over losing her only family; he was glad she was happily fitting in with theirs.

“We have about a million balls,” Veronica said. “I guess when our families offered to donate ornaments, they should’ve asked how many.” She dug in a box and pulled out a badly-misshapen reindeer with a bright pink nose. “Lance, remember this?” Lance snickered.

“Marco made that when he was five. It embarrasses him so much!” He smirked. “Let’s let Mom and Dad put it on their tree this year.”

“You should see the alien reindeer Matt made when we were younger,” Pidge chuckled. “I think we still have it!”

“You guys can use it, by the way,” Matt said.

“And ours!” Hunk’s niece piped up, showing off a set of egg-carton bells she and her brother had made. They were cut a little messily, with clumsily-painted leaves and berries, but Keith could tell how hard they’d worked on them.

“Thanks, guys. All of you.”

Shiro could see the grateful light in his husband’s eyes at the kids’ offerings, remembering Keith had a major soft spot for little ones. Right now they still had a lot of reconstruction to think about, the aftermath of Honerva’s attempt to destroy the entire universe included, but once the dust settled, Shiro would talk to Keith about adoption.

After practically raising three rowdy teens, he was sure they could handle a few kids.

“All right, let’s finish sorting out the decorations later,” he said. “We should get to the tree lot before they’re all sold out.”

“Uh, how big a tree  _ will  _ we be able to fit on the Atlas? I know it’s about as big as the old castle, but…” He gestured around with his hands. Shiro smiled.

“Remember, the Atlas can shift sizes at will. If the tree’s a little big, she’ll make room for it!”

So they bundled into their coats, boots, scarves, hats, and gloves for the walk to the nearest tree farm. Which, to Shiro’s relief, still had plenty of trees to pick from. Actually, there were  _ too  _ many, and just as he predicted, no one could agree on the best one.

“Too many needles,” Allura said. “And they’re falling off. The mice could try to eat them and choke.” Keith tried not to think of Kosmo committing the same blunder, and getting hurt.

“But it smells the best!” Pidge protested. “Not like the one Rax is eyeing up, it looks too green to be natural and it’s too wide.”

“But it has a scent!” Rax offered a bough up for them to smell. Romelle wrinkled her nose.

“It smells...toxic,” she murmured. “Those red berries, Keith told me they were supposed to be fatal.” Hunk grimaced at the sight of the oozing red berries no one had noticed earlier.

“Yeah, that’s a no. How about this one? It’s a decent size, needles aren’t falling off, nice strong branches…”

“And chipmunks living in it.” Keith lifted a branch, revealing a little cluster of the furry critters that Kosmo immediately barked at. “ _ Down _ , Kosmo. I saw that Pluto cartoon as a kid, we’re not recreating that mess on board the Atlas!”

“How about this one?” Veronica offered. “It’s a perfect cone shape!”

“And bigger than even the Atlas could shift to accommodate,” Acxa pointed out. “Too bad, I like how pointy the top is.”

  
  


It took them half an hour to pick one out, fifteen minutes to carry the thing home, and another ten to set it up. It fit perfectly in a corner of the designated rec room, with a plug for the lights that Lance immediately hurried to untangle.

“I got this. You guys get to work putting up the pretty things.” Matt frowned.

“I dunno, there’s being a hero and then there’s setting yourself up for pain. Want me to help?” To Keith’s surprise, Lance actually sighed with relief.

“Please. I only offered cause someone has to and I didn’t think anyone else would volunteer!” The lights were definitely a two-person job, just looking at them Keith couldn’t tell where the string began or ended.

“This is why Dad never wanted to put up Christmas lights,” he said. “I was so jealous of the other kids who got to have them, but then one day he took me over to the firehouse to watch him and his partner deal with the lights. Then I understood!”

“Dad always just had me and Ryou do it,” Shiro said, pulling him close and pressing a kiss to his forehead. He always did that whenever Keith got wistful about his dad, a quiet show of understanding. “Someday they’ll invent tangle-proof Christmas lights, though. And no one will ever suffer again.”

While Matt and Lance worked, the rest of them dug through the boxes of ornaments, Coran choosing the most sparkly balls he could find in hopes of re-creating Voltron’s color scheme and Allura cooing over the one with the little mice wearing Santa hats by a fireplace.

“I insist we create a Christmas card just like this with our mice!” she squealed. The space mice scurried over curiously, noses and whiskers twitching. “Yes, a card starring  _ you _ ! You’re going to look so precious in those stocking caps once we find ones small enough for you!” While Acxa pretended to make gagging noises, Lance looked absolutely over the moon.

“Isn’t she the cutest?”

“You think the mice will stay still long enough?” Keith asked, then snapped his fingers. “Shiro, we should do the same thing with Kosmo! Everyone loves cards with animals in cute hats. And maybe a sweater?”

“Uh, Keith?” Pidge snorted. “We tried to put a hat and sweater on BaeBae once and he whined so much we had to take it off. And BaeBae’s just a regular Earth dog. Think about trying to dress up a teleporting space wolf.” Keith winced.

“Maybe we can photoshop one onto him?”

“We’ll talk about cute animal cards later.” Acxa dug out a torn snowflake made of white construction paper, one Keith immediately recognized. “What should we do with this thing?”

“We’re not throwing it out!” Keith cried. “We don’t have to use it, just...put it in a scrapbook or something.” Acxa rolled her eyes.

“It looks like it’s been used to wipe off a counter more than once.”

“Heath made it,” Krolia said. “I was going through some of his things at the shack a few days ago, and Keith told me about the year it didn’t snow, so he and Heath made their own.” She smiled sadly. “He was never much of an artist, sadly. But he loved Keith, and he wanted to give him the merriest Christmas possible.”

Hunk and Romelle immediately burst into loud sobs.

“Oh, Mom! I wish we could’ve got to know Grandpa!” Hunk wept, throwing his arms around Keith. Keith yelped, but hugged him back anyway; by now, he was used to his oldest son’s over-enthusiastic shows of affection.

“Both our grandpas,” Pidge added, sniffling. Shiro’s own father had died of the same disease Shiro once had, and his mother had never remarried. Krolia suddenly looked like she regretted saying anything as the whole room was full of sniffles.

“Okay, enough of this! We’re here to make this tree look nice!” Rax finally said. “How’re those lights coming, guys?”

“Good news! We found both ends, now we just have to figure out where the knot begins!” Matt announced. “Uh, you think the mice could-” Before he could finish, Chluatt leapt into the fray and began to poke around the mess with her little paws.

“Careful, now,” Lance cautioned. “Don’t break the bulbs, we wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

“In the meantime, what color tinsel shall we use?” Coran asked, pulling out two plastic packages. “We have a sterling silver, a glorious gold, or...a rainbow.”

  
  


By the time Lance, Matt, and Chulatt had the lights untangled, everyone had finished picking the ornaments. Half of them were homemade little things from everyone’s childhood; Matt’s alien reindeer, Hunk’s felt gingerbread men, Veronica and Lance’s reindeer, Shiro’s construction paper Santa with his cotton-ball beard.

“We still need to make the star,” Shiro reminded them. “We have plenty of cardboard and foil, and I feel like there’s a tube of glitter buried in one of the boxes.” Indeed, there was, and just the right shade of silver. Like starlight, he thought, unable to resist giving Keith a loving glance as he watched his husband and his adoptive sister-in-law trying to salvage Heath’s snowflake.

“I can measure a perfect shape,” Pidge said, “and Matt here can handle the cutting.” Matt gave her a Look.

“Pidge, what’s the point of having a homemade star if it doesn’t look a little imperfect? Come on, you and your sticky angels of all people should know that,” he teased. Pidge blushed, shoving his shoulder a little.

“I was five when I made those things!” she protested. “But you’re right, arts and crafts always took a backseat to science for me.”

“Lance, how about letting Nadia and Sylvio make the star?” Allura suggested. Shiro couldn’t help having noticed her bonding quite a bit with those two, remembering a time where she didn’t do well with children at all.

“I don’t think we have any kids’ scissors,” Keith said. “Someone should keep an eye on them.”

“I’ll put on some music!” Lance whipped out a CD Shiro immediately recognized from his brother’s collection; this reminded him that he should give his mother and Ryou a call at some point. At Keith and Krolia’s urging he’d reconnected with the family he’d distanced himself from after learning his disease was surfacing; there had been so many tears that day but to his relief Mom and Ryou had forgiven him. And of course, they’d accepted and loved Keith almost instantly.

The sounds of the Sailor Guardians singing Christmas carols soon filled the room as everyone worked. Ornaments were arranged and re-arranged on the tree, the children’s star came along nicely, and Shiro smiled as he caught his kids and the others helping themselves to a candy cane now and then.

“We used to hang the rainbow ones on our tree,” Veronica said. “Marco always said they were better than the regular ones, but he can fight me on that.”

“Want some help?” Acxa offered. “I mean, I’ve never tried the other kind, but you know I’m in your corner.”

Veronica giggled, snaking an arm around her girlfriend’s waist. “I’d be honored, babe.”

Lance pretended to gag, but Shiro could tell he was more okay with the idea of them now. That still didn’t stop him from rubbing noses with Allura as they reached for the same sparkly gold ball, though.

“And the lights go on last?” Rax said, pointing to the neat coil of Christmas lights sitting nearby with Kosmo guarding it.

“Yep! In fact, I’m gonna set up that second surge protector right now,” Hunk said.

With so many computers and other appliances on board the Atlas, surge protectors were as vital as food or air. Once the ornaments and the protector were in place, Platt and Chuchelle grabbed the finished star and scurried it to the top of the tree. When they came back down, their tiny paws were covered in glitter, which Allura insisted upon making prints of before she washed them off.

 

The lights were set up soon after, with painstaking care by Romelle and Matt, and finally, the tree was ready to be plugged in and viewed in all of its glory. Pidge set the plug into the socket, and everyone gasped in awe as the lights provided the final, perfect touch on their masterpiece.

“Beautiful,” Shiro breathed. “The most beautiful tree in all universes.”

“And beyond.” Keith grinned, leaning against his husband. Lance wrapped his arm around Allura, Hunk and Shay held hands, Veronica and Acxa shared a tender smile, and Rax lifted Pidge onto his thick shoulder.

As the Paladin family watched the Christmas tree in awe, especially when Keith’s eyes glistened at the festive sight, they knew that this year was going to be a special one.


	3. Recipe for Chaos

Hunk frowned, wondering what he had done to deserve this familial form of torture. Supervising an excited kitchen full of curious hands, the Yellow Paladin knew he was in trouble after going out of his way to include them in the Christmas Cookie Bake Off.

The Holt siblings knew how to bake, their parents had made sure they knew all manner of cooking skills for later in life. But Pidge was obsessing over the science of it all, while Matt was so enthusiastic it made him clumsy and he kept spilling things.

Their intergalactic friends knew nothing of Earth cooking, of course, but Rax and Acxa looked insulted at being relegated to pan-greasers. Lance and Veronica had their hands full trying to keep the little ones from eating the raw dough, even if Hunk understood the temptation all too well.

And Keith and Shiro? An impulsive, over-eager Mom and a Dad who couldn’t cook were a disaster even working together.

“Shiro, wait, that’s the salt!” Veronica yelled from across the room.

“Salt?” Shiro stared at the shaker in his hand, raising an eyebrow curiously. “You sure? I could’ve sworn it-”

Keith patted Shiro’s shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile. “It’s alright, Shiro. They are… similar.” He then glared over at his friends, his voice harder than it should have been. “Isn’t that, right?”

“Er...yeah! I’ve made that mistake a few times myself,” Lance said.

“He actually has,” Veronica added. “Not as often as he’s spilled things, but he’s done it.”

Keith’s gaze softened as he turned back to Shiro. “See? Honest mistake, baby.”

“Thank you, snookums.” Shiro pulled him close, stealing a kiss. “You always have my back, don’t you?”

And Keith wasted little opportunity, clinging to the front of Shiro’s ‘Kiss the Cook’ apron and nuzzling his nose against his lover. “Always. Didn’t I tell you, Space Ace? As many times as it takes.”

 

As their lips were about to meet, a collective gagging noise arose from the rest of the group.

“Really, Mom and Dad? Right in front of everyone?” Pidge snorted.

Shiro chuckled, his strong arms still around Keith. “Why not? There’s no shame in what we share.” He turned to the love of his life, giving him a playful wink and a knowing, mischievous twinkle. “Isn’t that right, honey bun?”

“Of course not, sugarbob.”

“Fine, then.” Veronica grabbed Acxa around the waist and lifted her onto a bare portion of counter, smirking. “All couples, start making out! This is a free-for-all!”

Suddenly, Shiro paled, uncomfortable with what they just started. “H-Hey, wait! Don’t you  _ dare - _ ”

“Sorry, Dad! If you and Mom get to, then so do we,” Lance said, squeezing Allura to him. Shay and Hunk glanced at each other, unsure if they should get involved, until Hunk finally picked up a soccer horn and blew it loudly.

“Not in my kitchen!”

Veronica and Acxa groaned in unison, Lance and Allura grinned like love struck lovers in cahoots, while Shiro and Keith exchanged sheepish smiles. 

“Maybe later?” Keith suggested quietly, stroking his husband’s cheek.

“Definitely later.” Shiro kissed the tip of his nose.

Shay sighed with relief; the gang knew how sweet she and Hunk were on each other, but they were a little shyer than the rest of the couples. (Much to Rax’s relief.) Hunk shot her a relieved look, as order slowly restored in his kitchen.

“Look alive, people!” Hunk account, clapping his hands theatrically. “We’ve been at this long enough! Time to get the goods ready!”

 

Shiro was put to work as a pan-greaser, and everyone else fell into formation. Mixing, blending, measuring, cutting, sprinkling. Hunk had brought out an entire book of cookie recipes, from the usual sugar and gingerbread to the less common lebkuchen and pizzelle.

“My dad made some good gingerbread, you know,” Keith said. “That was our Christmas. We couldn’t afford a big tree or a turkey, so he made gingerbread. It was one of the only things he could bake without messing up.”

“My mom just always brought the frozen dough,” Lance said. “That way us kids could snack while we helped her out!”

“Isn’t raw cookie dough  _ toxic _ ?” Romelle asked. “I’ve heard that ingestion of uncooked egg can lead to many diseases!”

“Not in the frozen stuff,” Matt said. “I think it’s pasteurized. I mean, Pidge and I used to eat it from the tube and the worst we got was a stomachache.”

As Keith began whisking a bowl of cookie dough with determined abandon, as if the whole world was at stake, Shiro peered over his shoulder and smiled, placing a hand on his husband’s lower back. “Looks good.”

“Thanks,” Keith replied, furrowing his brow in intense concentration. “Wanna finish the bowl after?”

Shiro laughed. “Hm. I might not need to wait.” He leaned in, gently lapping at Keith’s cheek, tasting a stray chunk of dough that hit his husband’s cheek from his intense stirring action. Even with the no-makeouts rule in place, he couldn’t help being a little sneaky. Keith was hard to resist.

As long as Hunk didn’t notice and ban them again. They only just returned to the kitchen after the goo filled cupcake fiasco.

“Also, we’re gonna have to chill some of this dough before we start cutting and baking,” Hunk reminded everyone.  Sugar, chocolate chip, oatmeal, things with a soft and gooey consistency would be a nightmare to form into proper shapes. Keith remembered learning this the hard way his first time helping Hunk bake chocolate chip cookies in the fall.

Luckily, they had the Yellow Paladin on hand to guide them through it. Hunk’s skilled hands set about pounding the dough beneath his fingers, though his eyes kept glancing over at his family, mostly to make sure they were behaving themselves.

Especially his lovey-dovey parents.

 

“No, Nadia- _ Nadia _ , don’t eat any more of that! Even if the raw egg doesn’t make you sick, we won’t have any left for the cookies,” Lance scolded.

Nadia’s giggling was halted only by Kosmo teleporting next to her and licking her fingers to taste the food remnants there. Keith sighed, all too familiar with his curious wolf experiencing the world with his tongue. “What are you eating now?”

“Is sugar toxic for space wolves?” Krolia asked. “Colleen told me it wasn’t any good for dogs.”

“He’s eaten it before and the worst it does is make him want more,” Acxa said. Keith raised an eyebrow at her.

“I’ve never given Kosmo chocolate before. How would  _ you _ know this, Acxa?”

Shiro bit his lip, sensing a war brewing. He touched Keith’s shoulder, attempting to calm the inevitable storm. To his relief, Keith did no more than give his adoptive sister a grumpy look, while Acxa just shrugged.

“Look, obviously it didn’t hurt him. And don’t act so high and mighty, I’ve seen you feeding him under the table,” she said.

Keith sighed, knowing she had a point. He was trying to lay down the law with Kosmo about that, but he knew how to manipulate people into giving him things. Like a puppy would. And Space Dad was not immune to his pleading puppy charms either.

Then again, Space Dad was weak to all begging when it came to his family. They truly were a source of strength for him, but also his greatest weakness.

“Well, it is Christmas. But after that, he’s going on a diet,” Keith said. “And no more garlic, it makes his breath smell awful.”

Shiro, lover of garlic bread, wisely kept his mouth shut.

  
  


It seemed like forever and a day until the cookies were finally prepared, baked, decorated, and divided into gift baskets and tins. There would be plenty for everyone, but they had the Garrison and the Coalition and many others to give to after all their help defending the universe. But those gifts would go out tomorrow.

“At least we have most of our shopping done,” Veronica said.

The past week had been a rush to buy all the last-minute gifts or exchange things they’d realized were the wrong size or the wrong color or just in bad shape. Most of the group had said  _ screw it _ and gone with online ordering, making liberal use of the Holts’ Amazon Prime membership.

But aside from the few items that were set to arrive tomorrow, gifts were squared away, and now so were cookies.

“So,” Romelle piped up, “should we have takeout for dinner tonight? Give the kitchen a rest?” Hunk looked about to loudly object to the idea of not making dinner for everyone, but Shay put a hand on his arm.

“You’re exhausted. I think you should take the night off, you’ve worked so hard  _ and _ you’ve had to keep everyone in line.”

Shiro nodded. “I agree. We’re grateful to you for always stepping in to help, but you need a break too. Please. Our treat.”

“Aww, you guys…!” Hunk smiled, happy tears gathering in his eyes. “All right, but just this once, and only because you’ve all been such a big help!”

They ordered Chinese takeout, eating in front of the TV while they watched a marathon of Simpsons Christmas episodes that night. Something about watching the wacky antics of a fictional family brought the Paladin family closer together, and any quibbles they had with each other felt small with the knowledge that they were a tight knit family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We basically figured on a whim that space wolves can handle eating things Earth dogs can't. Or Kosmo can, anyway.


	4. Ugly Sweaters and Other Little Things

“So  _ why _ are we wearing these stupid things again?” Acxa asked, staring at a bright red sweater with a goofy-looking elf on it.

“Because stupid Christmas sweaters are a part of the fun!” Lance bragged, pointing to his own that left little to the imagination. It was basically the sweater version of Superman’s skintight suit, only covered with bells and fluffy snowmen.

“Our grandmother knits them for us every year,” Matt said. “I was too late to tell her about you guys spending Christmas with us this year, but when I did, she promised to make you all sweaters of your own next year.”  _ Next year _ , Keith thought, reminded once again that this was his life now. This wasn’t just a once-in-a-lifetime special event, every Christmas would be spent with these people. Chaos and all.

“The Garrison used to have ugly sweater parties,” Shiro added. “You should’ve seen the one Adam got his hands on one year, a giant snowflake with a glittery center that looked like he had an eye on his chest and back. It was the funniest thing…” He trailed off, looking wistful for a moment. Keith took his hand and squeezed gently, nestling close; even now it still hurt Shiro that Adam had died before he’d had a chance to settle things.

“It’s okay, Shiro.”

“I...I know.” Shiro hugged him, resting his cheek against his hair. “Sorry about that. Once in a while, you know…”

“Giant snowflake?” Coran enquired, equally as perplexed as the time Lance explained Earth rainfall to him. This snapped Shiro and Keith back to attention.

“It’s like really, really cold water that falls from the sky that turns the ground white,” Hunk tried to explain, tugging at his own yellow sweater.

“Oh! That white powder that covers everything?” Allura asked.

“The snowflake is the singular form of it, yes,” Pidge said. “And every snowflake is as unique as fingerprints, with -”

The silence that followed told Pidge she was losing them, therefore she settled with an easier to understand sentiment. “Yes, that white powder that covers everything.”

“But we can bring a magnifying glass to prove it!” Hunk said, understanding his friend and honorary sister’s love for the scientific. Plus, while weather wasn’t his favorite form of science, it was pretty fascinating.

“So you basically embarrass yourselves for fun by wearing these things?” Rax asked, bringing the subject back to the sweater in Acxa’s hands, as well as another one Shay was looking at. Pidge smiled.

“Basically, yes!”

“This one is awfully cute,” Krolia said, holding up a bright green sweater with a dancing kitten in a Santa hat on the front. Shiro chuckled.

“Keith should be the one to wear that one. Then everyone will know he’s my Keith Cat.” Keith blushed, that was probably Shiro’s second favorite pet name for him. The sweater looked just about his size, too.

“Why not?”

“Oh, hey, this one’s got a picture of Ralphie from Christmas Story on it!” Matt said cheerfully, holding up a pine-green sweater. “Looks about your size, Shiro.” The Captain of the Atlas snickered, eyeing the garment.

“So who wants a Red Ryder BB gun and who’s gonna put up that stupid leg lamp?”

“One time, Lance hurt his good arm and he didn’t want us feeding him,” Veronica said, “so he did like Randy did, only we were having soup and he looked more like a cat lapping up a bowl of milk.” Lance turned as red as the red lights on their tree, giving his sister a dirty look.

“I was five!”

“How adorable,” Allura giggled, making the middle child of the Paladin family blush even more. “We will be seeing this movie, I assume? We haven’t watched it yet.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll see it,” Matt said. “Over and over again. At least three stations play it nonstop starting Christmas Eve...which happens to be tonight.” Keith’s eyes widened.

“Oh my God, it is. The past two weeks have gone by like a blur, haven’t they?” Between shopping, decorating, baking, introducing their interstellar friends to a million Earth customs, it was almost Christmas and even with everything all set, Keith still found himself wondering if they forgot anything.

“The best blur ever!” Hunk grinned. “And tomorrow’s gonna be the best part!”

It was, Keith thought, picturing the gift he’d picked up for his husband. He’d been brainstorming as he walked through the shopping center, and suddenly he’d just had this  _ feeling  _ about a pendant he’d seen in the jewelry store. Red and gold, bright as the sunlight, the diametric opposite of the colors normally associated with the former Black Paladin and now the Captain of the Atlas.

_ Because he lights up my life, makes me feel warm all over, like the sun itself. _

“I can’t wait to see what everyone got me,” Pidge said. “My family used to say I was totally predictable and easy to buy for.”

“Only in front of you. Then you could be surprised when you got anything that wasn’t a video game or science book!” Matt teased. “Remember that year you tried to make me a scarf? Grandma had just taught you how to knit, but it didn’t stick.” Pidge blushed.

“You still wore that thing every day it snowed.”

“Hey, knitting’s tough. We can’t all be a master like me,” Lance bragged. “I could’ve made all these sweaters myself, but hey, why put Grandmas out of a job?”

“Someday, Keith,” Krolia murmured, “I need to tell you about your father’s parents.” Keith nodded; he knew his father had relatives, but he’d never met them. Sometimes he’d wondered if Dad was ashamed of him and wanted to hide him from the family, but then Mom had reassured him that wasn’t the case.  _ He said once I came back, he wanted to introduce us to everyone _ .

He wished Dad could be here right now to meet _ his _ new family.

“You okay, baby?” Shiro asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. Keith nodded.

“I’ll be fine.”

“I think Mom needs a hug,” Hunk said, and Keith was dogpiled by pretty much everyone before he could blink. Sometimes having a family that could read you so well was overwhelming. Not to mention dangerous.

“Ugly sweater cuddle pile!” Romelle cheered.

“Uh, guys? Did we remember to get Kosmo a sweater?” Acxa asked, clearly forgetting what Pidge had told Keith about dogs and sweaters not long ago. Sure enough, at the very mention of such an idea, the wolf woke up from his nap and teleported out of the lounge. The sound of paws stomping around the roof could be heard moments later.

“Did that wolf just…” Rax blinked. “Please don’t tell me he’s actually up there.”

“Whoops.” Acxa shrugged. “Look, I didn’t think he could hear me in his sleep. I mean, even for a space wolf with superior hearing he was out like a light.”

“Or maybe he was only pretending to be asleep and just looking for an excuse to go up there!” Lance said. Shiro raised an eyebrow.

“That kind of trolling behavior is more suited to cats, not wolves. Now enough chatter, everyone else get your sweaters on so we can take selfies and a group photo!” he said. “Dad’s orders.”

They looked like they’d gone swimming in a pool of finger paint and glitter by the time everyone had changed, but the pictures came out crisp and clear thanks to the modifications Hunk had made to a walking camera-bot.

Everyone gathered around to take a look, and they smiled at the sight, cherishing one of the few pictures of the whole family together. A beautiful collection of smiles (even from Pidge,) sparkling festive jerseys, and Kosmo’s curious face peering into frame greeted them.

“I rather like this Christmas,” Shay sighed. “Is it only an American Earth holiday, though?”

“It’s different worldwide,” Shiro explained. “In that some people celebrate different holidays for religious reasons, but it’s the same general spirit. For example, in Japan, people buy fancy cakes and it’s treated like a holiday for couples.” He smiled at Keith. “Maybe next year you and I can have a day to ourselves and do that before we celebrate with the family.”

“Except let Hunk make the fancy cake,” Shay said. “Then you don’t have to use money for one.”

“Hey, bakeries need to earn a living, too,” Hunk said. “Besides, I’ve already got my hands full with twenty batches of cookies. And trying to invent an edible fruitcake.” He sighed. “So far, that’s been a bust.”

“It takes time to correct one of the biggest mistakes ever made,” Veronica laughed. “But if anyone can do it, you totally can.”

Shay patted Hunk’s shoulder and he gave everyone an appreciative smile. “Thanks. With support like this, how can I fail? I won’t fail, right?  _ Right? _ ”

“We won’t let you,” Pidge said. “And we won’t let you give up, either.”

Ever the paternal soul of the family, Shiro felt a surge of pride at his family supporting one another, especially with his own words. He turned to Keith, who shared a knowing smile with him.

“Okay, it’s about an hour till the Christmas Story marathon comes on,” he said. “Why don’t we all make dinner as a family tonight-”

“No!” shouted just about everyone, startling Shiro. He raised his eyebrows, confused by the rebuttal.

“You… don’t want to do something as a family?” he asked quietly, sounding hurt. Keith knew what Shiro was up to, of course, but the others immediately looked guilty.

“Come on, guys. It’s Christmas Eve, we can let Dad in the kitchen just this once, right?” Pidge said, patting Shiro’s arm. “Besides, he knows how to measure things...even if he doesn’t measure the right things most of the time.”

“C’mon, Pidge,” Shiro laughed awkwardly. “I’m not that bad…  _ am I? _ ”

“In the spirit of Christmas, let’s keep our mouths shut on that front for once,” Krolia said.

They did indeed make dinner together, a smorgasboard of everyone’s favorites, and to Hunk’s relief it went much more smoothly than the cookie-baking session had. They watched the first airing of A Christmas Story, and of course Acxa sided with Ralphie’s obsessive need for a gun.

 

Hours later, the Paladins had gone home to their families so they could spend Christmas morning with them, while Krolia and Acxa were visiting Kolivan and the other few surviving Blades. Shay and Rax were going with Hunk, while the Alteans went with Lance.

Leaving Shiro and Keith alone for a few hours on the Atlas.

Shiro strolled over to Keith’s side, nudging him playfully. “I think that went well, don’t you?”

“More than well.” Keith grinned. “This is the kind of Christmas I missed in my childhood. Bad sweaters, chaos, fussing with the lights, a mess in the kitchen, a wolf on the roof.” He frowned. “He never came back, by the-”

A flash of light interrupted him, and Kosmo leapt up to give him slobbery kisses. Keith shook his head, ruffling the soft fur between the wolf’s ears.

“And no one was surprised.”

Shiro laughed, kneeling down to tickle Kosmo’s furry belly, which he seemed to enjoy immensely. “That’s the joy of the season, really. Enjoying it with others. Friends. Loved ones.”

“Yeah. Even when I didn’t have all of this, I was just happy to have the time with Dad,” Keith said. “And he’s with us in spirit. Probably jealous he didn’t have a space mouse to help with the lights at the fire station.”

Shiro turned to look up at Keith, stroking their beloved Space Wolf behind the ears. “Keith, your father would be proud of you, and everything you’ve accomplished.” He drew Keith down beside him with his free hand, pulling him close and kissing the top of his head. “You’re amazing. I always knew you would be, and that’s why I stayed by your side.”

“As many times as it takes?” Keith smirked, cupping Shiro’s cheek with his hand.

Their lips met in a soft kiss, and Kosmo wisely teleported to the bedroom to curl up in the laundry pile, giving his human dads their alone time.

Tomorrow was going to be amazing.


End file.
